Jailed neighbour from hell is banned from his hometown for seven years

Pictured is Mohammed Dar, 55, of Ley Gardens, Alfreton, who has been jailed for 12 months and banned from Alfreton for seven years after harassing neighbours.

Published:16:04Wednesday 19 July 2017

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A neighbour from hell who tormented residents on a suburban cul-de-sac has been jailed for 12 months and banned from Alfreton for seven years.

Derby Crown Court heard today, Wednesday, July 19, how Mohammed Dar, 55, formerly of Ley Gardens, Alfreton, harassed Louise Mountford and Andrew Phillips and other neighbours during five years and spouted distressing comments about murdered soldier Lee Rigby and being a cop-killer.

Pictured is Derby Crown Court

The court also heard Dar stalked Miss Mountford, loitered near her home, on nearby Ley Avenue, and produced fake Facebook accounts in neighbours’ names with insulting references and walked into the New Life Church, at Alfreton, dressed like a terrorist while shouting “Allah” and he slow-clapped a Remembrance parade.

Following the hearing, Mr Phillips said: “We’re pleased with the result of this case and together with other neighbours we are hoping to now be able to get back to living normal lives.

“It has been difficult but we have been pleased with how the police and the courts have handled the case.

“If it had not been for the police I don’t think we would have got this result today.”

Pictured is Mohammed Dar, of Ley Gardens, Alfreton, during one of his previous court hearings.

Dar, who has a PHD in chemistry and who has worked as an analytic chemist, was originally given a restraining order and an ASBO in 2014 after committing offences with many against his neighbours from 2012.

Offences involved tormenting Miss Mountford with references to murdered soldier Lee Rigby, walking into the New Life Church, at Alfreton, dressed like a terrorist and slow-clapping a Remembrance parade.

He was found guilty of two counts of threatening behaviour after the Remembrance offences and was found guilty of stalking Miss Mountford.

Dar also has previous convictions for making a grossly offensive communication and for two counts of making a malicious comment.

Prosecuting barrister Abbi Joyce previously outlined Dar’s various previous convictions from August 2012 including harassment, public order offences, sending indecent or grossly offensive communications, and she also highlighted the various custodial sentences he has received.

Dar, who has previous convictions for burglary, assault and for possessing an offensive weapon from 1977 to 1995, began a new reign of offending in 2012 primarily aimed at his neighbours.

He was convicted for harassing neighbours in August, 2012, by following them to work, by shouting and for intimidating them.

In April 2014, he was convicted for disorderly behaviour and threatening behaviour and in June, 2014, he was convicted for stalking and for matters of sending indecent and grossly offensive communications.

Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “Some of this behaviour was directed to neighbours, looking in windows and disrupting a Remembrance Day service shouting ‘Allah’ and frightening members of the public.

“And there were malicious communications relating to calls to the police referring to cop-killers.”

By April, 2015, Dar received 18 months in prison for four breaches of an interim ASBO relating to an incident at Limes Medical Centre, Alfreton, where he talked to his GP about politics, the police and Lee Rigby and the GP’s race and he shouted at staff, according to Judge Bennett.

Following his release on licence, a probation report revealed a typical meeting with Dar was dominated by his obsession with racism and foreign policy and he talked to the probation officer about being a potential cop-killer and he was recalled to custody after he referred to a probation staff member as a “scumbag”.

Dar was released in November, 2016, but during his latest offences he was found to have breached a restraining order by loitering near Miss Mountford’s home during a Christmas parade in December, 2016, and he admitted harassment after faking Facebook accounts and subsequently breaching his ASBO.

Judge Bennett said Dar set up fake Facebook accounts in his neighbours’ names and harassed them by claiming they were persecuting him as an Asian.

He added that he set up a fake account in Andrew Phillips’ name and Louise Mountford came across this and spotted the comment, “Andrew Phillips viciously assaults Asian neighbour”, with pictures of Mr Phillips, Miss Mountford and their daughter.

Judge Bennett added that a further thread stated, “Louise Mountford assaults Asian neighbour”, with the location of her home identified and similar accounts were linked to three others.

Pc Mark Stone stated: “Dar’s behaviour and actions have had a massive detrimental effect on their quality of life. They have put up with various abuse and annoyance at the hands of one individual.”

Daniel Church, defending, had argued the behaviour of some of Dar’s neighbours also has to be considered.

He said Andrew Phillips received a caution in April, 2014, for assaulting Dar and that Dar has made complaints to police about his neighbours.

Judge Jonathan Bennett accepted between May, 2011, and April, 2014, there had been a series of incidents which police investigated and they dealt with various neighbours with cautions, fixed penalties and restorative justice.

But he recognised that in such cases where people are repeatedly targeted those affected can be tempted to take the law into their own hands.

Judge Bennett sentenced Dar, who has served about 23 weeks in custody on remand, to 12 months of custody.

Dar was also given a seven-year ban from Alfreton as part of a restraining order.

Daniel Church, defending, said Dar who owns his property will not be entitled to housing benefit and he has no other assets or income and he will not have any accommodation when he is released from prison.